Barrington Hills dark skies debate

Fans of night sky, some residents clash over proposal

November 17, 2009|By Georgia Garvey, Tribune reporter

Drivers are far more likely to encounter a horse than a streetlight on the secluded roads of Barrington Hills. But a controversial proposal could make it even darker in the village famed for its equestrians and sprawling houses.

A proposed lighting ordinance could help bring a rare "dark sky" designation to the upscale community. The measure, which would restrict the types of outdoor lights and the duration those lights could be left on, is before the village zoning board.

But more than 150 residents have joined a movement opposing the plan. Members of the group, Homeowners Against Lighting Ordinances, or HALO, say the law could cost them as much as $10,000 per home.

In recent months, hundreds of angry residents have flocked to hearings on the subject.

"I think people are fed up with being told how to run their own life," said Dede Wamberg, who has lived in Barrington Hills for 23 years. "People move here because they don't want a lot of people telling them what to do."

So far, the International Dark-Sky Association has named only two towns in the nation -- Flagstaff, Ariz., and Borrego Springs, Calif. -- "dark sky cities" for their efforts to reduce what the organization considers unnecessary outdoor lighting.

The Arizona-based group contends that excessive nighttime lighting has far-reaching negative consequences for public health and the environment, said Johanna Duffek, its outreach and education manager. The organization, founded by astronomers, says humans and animals suffer ill effects from such exposure.

Hundreds of towns across the nation -- including Illinois' Homer Glen, Peoria, Mount Prospect and Norridge -- are getting in on the act in less stringent ways, she said.

But Barrington Hills -- with a population of just under 4,000 -- would like to be the first town east of the Mississippi River to be named a "dark sky city," said Steve Knoop, a village trustee who favors the idea.

Under debate is an ordinance that would limit the lumen output of lights in commercial and residential space; it also would curtail where those lights can be located. For example, no lights could be placed in tree branches or shrubs. And continuously operating most lights would be prohibited. Exceptions might include lights for a front door or an outdoor stairwell. Security lights would be allowed but must be operated by motion sensor.

Exterior lights would have to face down and be shielded.

There's no question the topic has some in the village heated up. Knoop said he has been threatened and he called the tenor of the debate "shrill."

Sarah Kenney, Barrington Hills planning and zoning coordinator, said village employees got the idea at a municipal conference about 18 months ago.

"The sky is just another natural resource," Kenney said, adding it was one the village wanted to protect. Starry night skies, she said, were typical of the old-fashioned farming community Barrington Hills aims to be.

"There's no sidewalks, there's no grand subdivision signs with the lights," she said. In the last decade, though, the housing boom came to Barrington Hills, with new mansions often "awash" in light, she said.

It recently held a planning and zoning board hearing on the subject, and hundreds turned out. Invited to speak was a member of the dark-sky association board in Illinois, Audrey Fischer.

Some residents got out of hand during Fischer's talk about the dangers of light pollution and the benefits of dark skies, she said.

"I got catcalls, I got laughed at," Fischer said. "You would think I was talking about I saw aliens just land in my backyard."

Karen O'Connor, a HALO member, agreed that some were rude to Fischer but felt the presentation was a distraction from the real issues: the cost and security consequences of lighting limits.

O'Connor estimated she spent as much as $25,000 on exterior lighting for her property and said she'd have to modify or eliminate a good portion of it. "No one has done an impact analysis of what this ordinance would mean from a cost perspective," she said.

Residents add that shutting off lights gives criminals a dark place to hide. O'Connor noted that some security cameras are worthless in total darkness.

Eric Littauer, a Barrington Hills resident, said the regulations seem pointless, with Chicago just 40 miles away.

The city -- lit up in orange glow -- even made the cover of National Geographic a year ago, with bold letters announcing, "The End of Night."

"How dark is it really going to be?" Littauer said.

Dark-sky proponents argue that some miss the point of limits. "We're not advocating going back to the 17th century," Duffek said.

The organization points to studies like one published in 2001 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which concluded that bright light at nighttime may inhibit a woman's production of melatonin and could be linked to an increased risk for breast cancer.

Preserving the starry nighttime experience for adults and children is another common goal. Margaret Sabo, a trustee in Homer Glen, helped her village pass a light ordinance in 2007.

The town, also seeking a dark-sky city designation, adopted relatively strict rules in 2004 and 2007, Sabo said. She sympathizes with the struggle in Barrington Hills. "It isn't something you can snap your fingers and do," she said. "It's a long process."

In Barrington Hills, Knoop said the intense feedback on the ordinance shows that it will require modification to pass.

Residents and board members will have ample time -- including zoning board meeting Wednesday -- to suggest changes, he said. "This is supposed to be a discussion," Knoop said. "If (the ordinance is) too tough, say so, and let's change it."